Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	church_n	england_n	reform_a	3,931	5	9.9167	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93473	A solemn League and Covenant, for reformation, and defence of religion, the honor and happinesse of the King, and the peace and safety of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland. Together with a preamble, made by a worthy Member of the House of Commons, to invite all good Christians to the constant keeping of it.; Solemn League and Covenant (1643)	England and Wales. Parliament.	1643 (1643)	Wing S4446; Thomason 669.f.7[57]; ESTC R212004	3,557	1

A solemn League and Covenant For Reformation and Defence of Religion The Honor and Happinesse of the King And the Peace and Safety of the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Jreland Together with a Preamble made by a worthy Member of the House of COMMONS to invite all good Christians to the constant keeping of it COme let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten JER 50. 5. Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shal be established in righteousnesse PROV 25. 5. And all Iudah rejoyced at the Oath for they had sworn with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire and he was found of them and the Lord gave them rest round about 2 CHRON. 15. 15. The excellent Usefulnesse of this COVENANT VNion with God Conformity to God and Vnity of the three Kingdoms are things most desirable In the first we are happy In the second holy In the third is strength peace and safety These are the kindly fruits of this Covenant and a Covenant that brings forth these how gladly should it be embraced and how willingly received They are lovely Bands that binds us to be happy holy and safe The heart of man is back-sliding and a Covenant is like a hedge or wall to stop us from going back it being a good and ready answer to a tempter or tentation How shall I do this and break my Covenant Surely we have been too loose toward God having almost lost a Religion too loose in our lives and too disunited among our selves and well it may be thought that a main end of this Rod which now lyes upon us is to beat us into this Covenant that thereby we may be knit faster to God to holinesse and each to other by this Band of Vnity Yet the taking is not the chief part of a Covenant but the keeping The benefits of a Covenant are then sure and stedfast to us when we are stedfast in the Covenant Now a main cause of unstedfastnesse in the Covenant is forgetfulnesse of it To prevent this the Covenant is presented in this form that being set up before us it may be daily seen and by seeing remembred and by remembring performed And withall let us remember this that all the wayes of God are mercy and truth to them that fear him and keep his Covenant But because no man is strong in his own strength let us seek strength of Him who is both our strength and our Redeemer that by Him we may be enabled to keep our Covenant with him that so he may delight to dwell with us to be called our God and to call us his people upon which happy condition attend Peace Prosperity and all blessings of Heaven and Earth temporall and eternall WEe Noblemen Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland by the Providence of God living under one King and being of one Reformed Religion having before our eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ the honour and happinesse of the Kings Majesty and His Posterity and the true publique Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included and calling to minde the treacherous and bloody Plots Conspiracies Attempts and Practices of the Enemies of God against the true Religion and professors thereof in all places especially in these three Kingdoms ever since the Reformation of Religion and how much their rage power and presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable state of the Church and Kingdom of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church and Kingdom of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and kingdom of Scotland are present and publique Testimonies We have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and Sufferings for the preservation of our selves and our Religion from utter Ruine and Destruction according to the commendable practice of these Kingdoms in former times and the Example of Gods people in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutuall and solemn League and Covenant wherein we all subscribe and each one of us for himself with our hands lifted up to the most high God do swear I. THat we shall sincerely really and constantly through the grace of God endeavour in our severall places and callings the preservation of the reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common Enemies the reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the neerest conjunction and Uniformity in Religion Donfession of Faith Form of Church-government Directory for Worship and Catechizing That we and our Posterity after us may as Brethren live in Faith and Love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us II. That we shall in like manner without respect of persons indeavour the Extirpation of Popery Prelacy that is Church-government by Archbishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons and all other Ecelesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanenesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godliness lest we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms III. We shall with the same sincerity reallity and constancy in our severall vocations endeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties Person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witnesse with our consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish His Majesties just power and greatnesse IV. We shall also with all faithfulnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evil instruments by hindring the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his people or one of the Kingdoms from another or making any Faction or parties amongst the people contrary to this League and Covenant that they may be brought to publique triall and receive condigne punishment as the degree of their offences shall require or deserve or the supreme Judicatories of both Kingdoms respectively or others having power from that effect shall judge convenient V. And whereas the happinesse of a blessed Peace between these Kingdoms denyed in former times to our Progenitors is by the good Providence of GOD granted unto us and hath been lately concluded and setled by both Parliaments we shall each one of us according to our place and interest indeavor that they may remain conjoyned in a firm Peace and Union to all Posterity And that Justice may be done upon the wilfull Opposers thereof in manner expressed in the precedent Article VI. We shall also according to our places and callings in this common cause of Religion Liberty and Peace of the Kingdoms assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuing thereof and shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terror to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed Union and conjunction whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency or Neutrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdoms and honor of the King but shall all the dayes of our lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same according to our power against all Lets and Impediments whatsoever And what we are not able our selves to suppresse or overcome we shall reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented or removed All which we shall do as in the sight of God And because these Kingdoms are guilty of many sins and provocations against God and his son Jesus Christ as is too manifest by our present distresses and dangers the fruits thereof We professe and declare before God and the world our unfained desire to be humbled for our own sins and for the sins of these Kingdoms especially that we have not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel that we have not laboured for the purity and power therof and that we have not endeavored to receive Christ in our hearts nor to walk worthy of him in our lives which are the causes of other sins Transgressions so much abounding amongst us And our true unfained purpose desire and endeavour for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publick and in private in all duties we owe to God and man to amend our lives and each one to go before another in the example of a reall Reformation that the Lord may turn away his wrath and heavy indignation and establish these Churches and Kingdoms in truth and peace And this Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God the Searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as we shall answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his holy Spirit for this end and to blesse our desires and proceedings with such successe as may be deliverance and safety to his people and encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning under or in danger of the yoke of Antichristian Tyranny to joyn in the same or like Association and Covenant to the glory of God the enlargement of the Kingdom of JESUS Christ and the Peace and Tranquility of Christian Kingdoms and commonwealths Ordered by the Commons in Parliament That this Solemn League and Covenant be forthwith printed and published and read in all Churches H Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. London Printed for Edward Husbands November 16. 1643.